Bad things always lead to good things

"I think she just worried about where Toby is you know, I think she still thinks he's out there somewhere."said Maura softly. "I honestly don't blame her though, you and Toby are the only family she has left so she's trying so hard to protect you two."said Maura honestly. "She's scared to death of losing you two Hal, she really is!"said Maura remembering what Amelia told her when they had tea. Maura felt like all her problems didn't even matter anymore, they were small compare to Amelia's.

Maura gasped when Hallie told her she was mugged. "Oh my goodness, by who?"Maura asked her softly. Maura knew alot of people were after Hallie after she rescued her and her brother. "I guess it was only a matter of time before we had people after us!"said Maura sighing. "I have a feeling that this year is probably going to be alot like last year was!"said Maura honestly. "I just don't want anything to happen to this baby, I would rather die then lose this baby!"said Maura looking down at her stomach.

"Although I haven't told Ryo or anyone yet, if something happens to me save the baby first not me!"said Maura softly. "I know it might sound silly but if anything happens to me Hallie and your there, save the baby first."said Maura softly. "I can always get changed back into a vampire or something."said Maura honestly.

Hallie bit her lip. Her Mother was still heartbroken from Toby's disappearance. In all honesty there hadn't been a day that Hallie hadn't thought about where he could be up until her mugging: the day she'd found out about Toby. 

'I don't know who mugged me but it was Toby who found me. That's how I out he was still alive and... And, I don't know if he has gone to Hogwarts or not, that's why I am so paranoid about if my Mum has met him or not? I'm scared.' Hallie's eyes now shone with tears. 'I'm scared she will found out that I know he's alive and never told her!'

There was a point that Hallie had thought about dropping out of work to care full time for Toby up until Hogwarts but it couldn't be done, she wouldn't have been able to afford it. Besides she had worked long and hard to become an Auror, she needed the job. She needed to save people from feeling how she had felt.

'No Maura.' Hallie replied. Although it wasn't nasty or commanding, within the tears a smile formed. 'I'm saving both of you. You and the baby! Neither of you are getting into trouble!' 

(OOC: not sure of Kitty's plans for Toby so it'd be best if Maura didn't know whether Toby was at Hogwarts or anything, just in case)

Maura frowned. "He's not at Hogwarts at all, or at lease I haven't seen him around."said Maura honestly. "I just hope Toby is ok, you and your mother are going through enough as it is."said Maura softly. "I don't think he's dead Hal I really don't, I just think he's just missing that's all."said Maura softly.

Maura looked at Hallie and shook her head. "Don't be scared Hal, of course she'll be upset but I don't think she'll hate you because of it!"said Maura honestly. "But she's going to find out sooner or later though."said Maura honestly. "You know better then I do how your mother is!"said Maura softly.

Maura looked at Hallie and smiled. "That's sweet of you Hal, but just in case save her first then me."said Maura softly. "That's if anything happens to me which there won't!"said Maura giving her a soft warm smile.

Hallie bit her lip. Great. Toby was missing again, she really did need to send him a letter of some sort. Who knows, she might even make a trip to Hogwarts to search for himself. If only her family were a bit more quick at replying to her letters she wouldn't feel as so in the dark. Not that Hallie could talk, she once used to be terrible at corresponding to people. Although after what she'd been through with Maura in the shrieking shack Hallie wasn't going to waste time anymore.

'But.' Maura didn't know the whole story, it was Hallie's greatest secret, her greatest secret only three people knew: Jack Dyllan, Toby Cooper and herself. 'There is something I have never told you and - and I - I j-just can't live w-w-with myself.' It had happened so fast, already Hallie had erupted into a sudden burst of tears and she'd not even told Maura the full story. Perhaps it was the worry of what might have happened to Toby or if her Mum hated on top of the prospect of telling Maura.

A few people at nearby tables had looked over, some in shock, others in disgust. It appeared Hallie was beginning to make a scene, which wasn't going to help her in the slightest. Hallie was too distraught she couldn't even argue against saving the baby before saving Maura, although Maura would know. Maura would know Hallie would aim to save them both over her own life. It was just the kind of person Hallie was.

Maura looked at Hallie and frowned before getting up and placing her chair beside Hallie hugging her. "Sh... Hal it'll be ok, I promise."said Maura softly. Seeing people looking at them Maura shot them a 'what the bloody hell are you looking at?' look before she went on with comforting her best friend. Hallie was always there for her, now it was her turn to be there for Hallie now. Hallie needed Maura now seeing how Toby was missing and no where to be found, Maura noticed she was starting to feel depress it seemed.

Maura looked down at Hallie for a minute with worry in her eyes. "Wait a minute Hal, I thought you told me everything!"said Maura softly. Although Maura understood if she had to keep it a secret even from her though. "Ok.. do you want to go some place more private and talk about this?"Maura asked her softly. "We can take our ice creams to go and go back to your place or something."said Maura softly.

"As long as we can get like a tub of ice cream and bring it with us I'm good!"said Maura chuckling. "God I'm going to put on so much weight due to this baby!"said Maura chuckling. Maura was trying to get her best friend to cheer up, hopefully she was doing a good job by joking around with her.

Tears continued to stream down her face despite the crowds of people that had looked over. Oh gosh, Maura was now asking her questions. Would Maura hate Hallie for not telling her the truth immediately? Hopefully she would understand. Hopefully. 

'I-I-I d-don't kn-ow!' Hallie cried at Maura's question if she wanted to go somewhere private, suggesting Hallie's flat, which was convenient. 'P-Please j-just don't get-' Although before she could ask Maura how not get she had been interrupted...

A weedy wizard with a belly the size of a beach ball and a concoction of Ginger and black hair had arrived at the table. 'Look Missy! Some of us are tryin' to eat y'a loud twit!' Clearly he was too attached to his ice creams and didn't have the patience to sit and enjoy them with the sound of a wailing blonde. 

'S-sorry sir.' Hallie replied, snivelling and dabbing her eyes with a napkin.

'Y'a better be! Now get out of 'ere!' He yelled in her face before turning on Maura and giving her a quizzical look as though to ask why she was letting her friend be so loud.

'W-we'll just g-go.' Hallie muttered to Maura now she had finally managed to get her tears back under control. 

Maura glared at the weedy wizard with a fat belly the size of a beach ball. "Listen here buddy, we were here first so why don't you bug the hell off?"Maura asked him angrily with fire in her eyes. Over the pass few weeks, Maura been like a bottle rocket that might go off at any second. Maura knew it her hormones getting the better of her, but she couldn't help how she acted. But what that man told Hallie was uncall for in her opinion.

"Come on Hal, lets go and let the man gain more weight then he already has!"said Maura's red eyes glaring at the weedy fat wizard. Turning to the waiter her eyes turned back to there normal chocolate brown. "May have I a bucket of mint chocolate chip to go?"Maura asked him softly as he nodded. As the waiter came back and gave her her tub of mint chocolate chip Maura paid him before turning her heels back to her best friend.

"You ready to go Hal, or do you want any ice cream to go?'Maura asked her softly starting to calm down some. "I know Hal I need to calm down, but people like this prick make me mad!"said Maura nodding towards the weedy fat wizard. Taking a bite of her ice cream she glared at the fat wizard.

The weedy wizard with the beach ball belly had clearly disliked what Maura had said, perhaps he wasn't expecting Maura to answer back the way that she did. 

'O-okay. I- I need a bucket of strawberry.' Hallie replied through a snivel. Her tears had gone, been put on pause, but the mucus in her throat from the on slaughter of tears still lingered. Waiting for the waiter to return with her bucket Hallie handed him all the money in her purse, not realising the tip she had gave was mighty fine, and took Maura's hand and walked from the shop.

'Sorry abo-out that, Mars.' Hallie apologises in a I-shouldnt-have-done-that childrens voice. 'I just. I... I can't live with what I did!' Hallie added, trying to keep her cool and wait until she was in the flat before she unleashed the tears. 

Guiding Maura down the alleyway between Slug and Jiggers and Madame Malkins Hallie shivered. There was still a splatter of dried blood from where she was mugged there, a stain that would never fade. Even if it did Hallie would always be stained. She now never wore her hair down, just in case someone grasped it again. 

'Here we are.' Hallie said after walking up an iron staircase at the back of the shop, up to the top floor where she unlocked the door and led Maura into her flat.

It was only small with three rooms: a bedroom, hosting a double bed; bathroom and then the main room. The Walls were cream yet the largest was wallpapered with cream and red flowers whose stems intertwined. A large window looking down on Diagon Alley was on the opposite wall from the door, a two seater sofa and chair by the window set around a fireplace that was topped with a pot of flop powder.

The room was open plan, which meant the kitchen in the corner and dining room table were all visible from the door. 

'Make yourself comfortable.' Hallie told Maura, waving a hand to the sofa whilst she grabbed a couple of spoons from a kitchen draw for their ice creams. 

'It's not much, but it's my own.' Hallie said as she sat on the sofa, smiling for the first time since her breakdown in the ice cream parlour.

Maura nodded her chocolate brown eyes glaring at the weedy wizard. As they gotten there buckets, Maura looked at the weedy wizard one last time before shaking her head. "Oh dare you get a pregnant girl angry, didn't your mother teach you well?"Maura asked him before she marched off with Hallie leaving the weedy wizards speechless.

Maura shook her head. "It's ok Hal, we all lose ourselves at times!"said Maura softly. "I don't think whatever you did, can't be that bad your just being to hard on yourself!"said Maura.

Seeing blood splattered on the wall Maura shivered about the same time Hallie did. She didn't know for sure, but it looked like the same place Hallie was mugged. Looking at the blood splattered stain Maura swallowed hard before following Hallie.

"Very roomy!"said Maura softly as she took a seat on the sofa. "At lease you got someplace to go when all hell breaks loss!"said Maura honestly. Grabbing a spoon she opened her tub and started diving right in.